Report: Google to 'significantly' cut its contractor workforce

[OhioChick]

Source: ComputerWorld

November 25, 2008 (Computerworld) Google Inc. yesterday acknowledged plans to "significantly" reduce the number of contractors it uses, according to a report on the Web site of The Wall Street Journal. The report noted that the company has no plans to cut its permanent workforce.

"We have been thinking for some time, before the acute phase of the economic crisis, about significantly reducing the number of contract workers," spokeswoman Jane Penner, told the newspaper.

Google did not immediately respond to Computerworld's request for comment on the Journal report.

Penner declined to detail how many contract workers -- Google has approximately 10,000 -- would be cut or when they might be let go. Google has 20,213 company employees, the article noted.

November has been unusually rife with bad news for Google. Just last week, Google announced plans to shutter its Lively virtual world. And the unveiling last week of its new SearchWiki interface for reranking and commenting on search results immediately came under fire from some in the blogosphere for its lack of an opt-out option.



Read more: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9121488&intsrc=hm_list

[babylonsister]

1. I wonder where the contractors live. Any idea?

And no, I didn't finish the article. :hide:

[OhioChick]

2. The article doesn't say....

But I can guess.

[mopinko]

5. they could be here.

and their permanent employees could be anywhere. IT contractors are pretty common.

[ihavenobias]

3. Good question. n/t

[Azlady]

4. 5th recd - interesting no reference to where the contractors are.. n/t

[uncle ray]

6. i'd say all over.

this probably means they are cutting services such as their "street view", which would mean contractors in every major city would be laid off.